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Review Summary

The second feature of Steano Incerti, who learned his trade as assistant director to established fellow Neapolitan filmmakers Mario Martone and Pappi Corsicato, Prima del tramonto (Before Sundown) is set on Italy's southern coast, a transit point for every kind of human and illegal cargo from around the Mediterranean border. Ali (Said Taghmaoui) is a young and charming Moroccan man who works as a waiter for Nicetra, the old boss of the local criminal ring. At 8 o'clock in the morning, we see him getting ready to marry the daughter of the boss with dreams of settling down comfortably. But at the last minute, he decides to reject the security of an easy solution and deserts the ceremony to take his destiny in his own hands. He finds shelter in a seedy hotel with Assia, who is also from Morocco and is hopelessly in love with him. They make love and plan to run to the airport when it gets dark. Ali falls asleep, only to be woken up by two thugs of the boss, who did not forgive his desertion. Assia has disappeared; probably she has betrayed him. Ali starts to run across hostile land with two men on his tail who are determined to take revenge for their boss. The film is a contemporary thriller, which explores the crisis of values in a society in transition towards a new, multi-ethnic identity. Prima del tramonto was screened in competition at the 1999 Locarno International Film Festival. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi